Dark Wolf Rising
by Dark Paladin Shadower Trakand
Summary: The following of a young Jade Falcon Mechwarrior, as he astounds the Clans and the Inner Sphere with his amazing innate abilities. Can Drakai win his Bloodname, and become a high ranking member of the Jade Falcons? Or, in the end, will he be betrayed?
1. The Beginning

For Star Commander Drakai of Clan Jade Falcon, the Clan was everything. Although he was one of the youngest Clan warriors to compete for a Bloodname, Drakai did not hold much store in personal initiative. For him, if it was good for the Clan, that was enough.  
  
Drakai was young for an officer, being only 22 years old. He was tall, even for one of the Pryde bloodline. His black colored eyes were devoid of emotion, and his thin lips were a pressed, tight line. He stood alone in the 'Mech bay, looking up at his personal 'Mech, which he had named Phoenix. The 'Mech was unique in every way possible. Drakai had designed and built the OmniMech himself, during his first year as a warrior of the Clan.  
  
The war machine looked similar to the Inner Sphere Penetrator design. However, the two designs were nothing alike after physical appearance. The Phoenix weighed 80 tons, 5 more tons than its counterpart did. The Phoenix featured an extra light engine, and was faster because of it. The two Ultra Autocannon 20s in the arms were the 'Mech's main armament. The other weapons were scattered throughout the torso.  
  
"We shall do well today, Phoenix," Drakai said, patting the leg of the 'Mech. He smiled, and climbed up into the cockpit. His Bloodname Trial began in under a few hours. It was time to begin what would be a momentous rise of a Jade Falcon warrior.  
  
"Freebirth!" Drakai cursed as the Nova he fought hit him with its twin particle projectile cannons. The man-made lightning slammed into Drakai's left torso, disabling the large pulse laser equipped there. Drakai returned with a devastating volley from the right side laser. The stuttering lances of green fire burned holes into the enemy 'Mech.  
  
Drakai dodged a short volley from the medium lasers mounted on the Nova. He responded in kind, unleashing the full force of the 100mm autocannons built into the arms in short, controlled bursts. The PPC's must have done something to his targeting, for all the shells missed.  
  
The Nova pilot, Star Captain Evanatha, fired her PPC's again, blowing off over a ton of armor from the legs. Drakai threw his leg forward to balance the 'Mech, but it was in vain. The 80-ton war machine collapsed onto its chest. Drakai tried desperately to use his arms to lever himself up, but as he did so, Evanatha stepped forward and leveled her PPC's at Drakai's cockpit. Drakai watched as the coils glowed as they began to send electricity through the firing coil, the intent of the Star Captain being made horribly obvious.  
  
Drakai knew he had only a few heartbeats to react. He threw one arm in front of his cockpit, as the massive energy weapons discharged. The PPC's melted the arm into a worthless hunk of metal, but it gave Drakai the time he needed to stand his 'Mech up. Drakai picked himself up, and snarled in irritation.  
  
Drakai leveled his AC 20 at the Star Captain, and fired, anger lending more accuracy to his aim. The 100mm shells lanced inside the bore of one of the PPC's, making the weapon explode from the inside. "How about we end this, quiaff, Star Captain?" Drakai snarled. 


	2. The Death of a Warrior

Evanatha did not reply. Instead, she fired a burst from her medium lasers, the lances of fire aimed for Drakai's chest. Drakai twisted his torso around, allowing the lasers to go beyond him. As Drakai returned to the front, he aimed his remaining large pulse laser, and fired repeatedly at Evanatha's legs, doing his best to disable her. Evanatha, panicking, fired her remaining PPC, hitting Drakai's right torso, but failing to damage the pulse laser. Drakai smiled as he finally disable the left leg joint.  
The Nova collapsed onto its left side. Drakai stepped forward, determined to end the fight once and for all. "Star Captain Evanatha, as much as it pains me to admit it, you are a worthy foe. I offer you hegira. Withdraw, and your life will be spared."  
"Never. I will never withdraw. You shall have to kill me first," Evanatha returned. She fired her remaining weapons, disabling the remaining large pulse laser. Drakai ran forward, and pressed his AC 20 against the cockpit of the Nova. He fired, reducing the cockpit to shreds of debris. However, before he fired, Evanatha got off one last burst. The PPC struck Drakai's left leg, and fused the hip joint together. The two medium lasers in the chest melted off the remaining cockpit armor, but stopped before they could touch Drakai.  
Sweating heavily, Drakai moved away from the corpse of the Nova. He had won his first fight in this Bloodmatch.  
  
Drakai stood alone in his personal 'Mech bay. The death of Evanatha had been a waste. He looked up at the Phoenix, and frowned. The 80-ton OmniMech was ruined. It was repairable, but Drakai knew that there would not be time to repair it correctly before his next match. He would have to use one of his other 'Mechs he had designed. Drakai walked over to one of his lighter 'Mechs, and looked it over carefully. If he could not use the Phoenix, he would have to rely on a similar 'Mech.  
The OmniMech he chose, named the Grand Fox was based after the light OmniMech known as the Kit Fox. It was a medium weight with more weaponry and armor than the Kit Fox was. The Grand Fox featured a pair of Gauss rifles, along with two Extended Range heavy lasers. Rounding out the design were two medium pulse lasers. Drakai nodded in satisfaction, and stepped out of the 'Mech bay, to prepare for his next fight. The fight would be against a Star Commander named Amasa, who piloted a Rifleman IIC. The medium weight Rifleman IIC was known for its abilities to eliminate targets quickly, by overwhelming its opponents with its incredible firepower. Amasa was from a secondary Galaxy, and so piloted a second-line 'Mech, instead of an OmniMech. The fight would be evenly matched overall.  
  
Drakai stepped the Grand Fox onto the location of the fight. The fight was being held on the moon of all places. The location choose had gone to Amasa, and he had chosen the moon. A good strategic choose, if an annoying one. It gave Amasa better maneuvering abilities and speed.  
Drakai kept a close eye on his radar, but saw nothing. As he moved carefully across the surface, he performed system checks rapidly. Finally, he saw a blip of red on his radar. Drakai turned his 'Mech in that direction, and moved quickly. As he closed in on Amasa, a wave of laser fire and autocannon shells hit the ground around him, throwing up moon dust. Drakai sighted carefully, and fired his ER heavy lasers, but missed his target. He had not compensated for the effect of the lower gravity. Drakai looked for a sight of the Rifleman, but could not see the 'Mech anywhere. He cursed, and began moving his Omni back and forth, creating a difficult target. 


	3. A Fox and a Hunter

Amasa, piloting a Rifleman IIC, tracked the unusual 'Mech with his lasers. Amasa waited, allowing his highly efficient heat sinks to bleed off the extra heat generated by his weapons, and then fired his ER large lasers, giving them a significant lead. The lasers ripped melting gashes in the fifty-ton OmniMech, causing the Grand Fox to stumble. Amasa wondered at how Drakai had managed to fit all the armor, weapons, heat sinks, and the engine, of a much heavier 'Mech onto a fifty tonner. Then, he remembered what he had heard.  
Drakai had been in his first year as a Mechwarrior when he disappeared. When Drakai returned, he had brought back a stable of OmniMechs that had never been seen before, all of which featured extremely lightweight technology. The rumors going around were that the materials used for the weapons and equipment were lighter in weight than anything ever seen made for even OmniMechs. That meant that Amasa was facing a faster and more powerful opponent than he could have ever imagined. Amasa swallowed, and moved forward.  
  
Drakai cursed his opponent mentally, and raised an arm, firing his right arm Gauss rifle at the Rifleman IIC. The fast moving nickel-iron projectile slammed into Amasa's right shoulder. The armor collapsed, and the slug moved all the way through, bursting out the back of the shoulder. As Amasa's torso twisted violently to the side, Drakai fired his ER large laser. The laser beam caressed the barrel of one of the autocannons, melting the barrel. Drakai rushed forward, but as he did, Amasa twisted his torso back to center front. Amasa fired all of his weapons, unleashing the full power of his Rifleman IIC on the Grand Fox. The large lasers burned off armor from Drakai's chest, and the remaining autocannon savaged the left arm. The medium torso mounted lasers melted armor from the legs. Drakai cursed violently as his heat level rose dramatically. Drakai raised his Gauss rifles, and fired both of them again. The slugs slammed into Amasa's chest, forcing the Rifleman IIC onto its back with their pure kinetic force. Drakai stepped over to Amasa, and fired the Gauss rifles again, snapping the right leg off at the knee.  
"Withdraw, Amasa. You have fought well, and with honor. There is no honor to be gained in killing you, quiaff?"  
"Aff," Amasa replied, his voice pained. "I am glad that, though I lost, I lost to a worthy opponent. I salute you, Drakai. You deserve to go on."  
"I salute you, Amasa," Drakai replied, pleased with the implied compliment. 


	4. Of Hunters and Prey

Drakai stood in the room that had been prepared for the Ritual of Decision. Drakai wore a non-standard uniform, with a black leather greatcoat, and black pants, and black colored shirts. The greatcoat was tied at the waist by a jade colored belt, with a gold buckle that had the image of a flying falcon on it.  
Across from the gravity well that would decide the competition, stood Drakai's opponent, an Elemental named Dean. Dean was the same height as Drakai, but was broader in the shoulders, and more heavily muscled. Drakai raised an eyebrow, his face calm, but his black eyes glinting. Dean was calm, unusual for an Elemental trying for a Mechwarrior Bloodname. It was rare for Elementals to gain a Mechwarrior Bloodname, for if the battle was fought augmented, Elementals were in a bad situation. No Elemental was a true match for a Mechwarrior who piloted a 'Mech. Not in a straight out fight, of course.  
Drakai shrugged, and looked over at the entrance to the room. As he turned, he saw Khan Marthe Pryde enter the room. The Khan wore her ceremonial Jade Falcon mask, but Drakai could see her ice blue eyes glinting out from the eyeholes. Marthe stepped up to the gravity well, and began the ritual. Drakai paid attention to the ritual, but his thoughts were on the matter at hand: how to fight Dean. If Dean was the hunter, then Drakai would have to fight the Elemental hand-to-hand, unarmed. Not a pleasant thought. However, if Drakai won the decision, he would be able to choose to fight from a 'Mech. Drakai looked down at Khan Marthe's hand, and raised an eyebrow in surprise. Drakai's coin was on top.  
"Drakai, you are the hunter. What style do you choose?" Marthe asked, ritual dictating her words.  
Drakai looked at Dean, and smiled as a thought came into his head. "I choose to fight unaugmented, my Khan." 


End file.
